What does it take to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is embedded into the organisation instead of being a checkbox exercise? Here’s what leaders from the tech industry believe is needed to do so.
Demetris Cheatham, senior director for Global D&I Strategy at GitHub
To build and sustain a successful DEI programme, you must constantly balance scale and impact. It can be easy from a corporate perspective – especially in tech – to prioritise scale and privatise your recipe for success. But what works for products, doesn’t always work for people. Scale can quickly cannibalise impact. And competition unnecessarily slows progress.
A good DEI programme isn’t something you buy off the shelf, it’s something that a network of individuals builds by coming together under a common goal and contributing their strengths. I’ve learned that to be successful with a DEI programme you need to achieve scale without generalisation, build a community within and beyond your company, and take the access you have – your data, products, etc. – to contribute to the overall impact.
Fiona Lee, managing director of HP Singapore
At HP, we have a rich legacy of advocating for DEI. Our programmes are spearheaded and continuously developed by a centralised team comprising dedicated DEI practitioners and people managers, complete with executive sponsorships. These investments – not limited to monetary – lead to strong stakeholder support and sustained momentum for our DEI initiatives over time as these programmes gain ground and legitimacy.
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Through passion and a drive to achieve new DEI standards at HP, our team have brought to life popular programmes such as Women Impact Network and Women in Leadership Lab, which aim to engage, educate, and empower female employees with the resources and skills needed to reach their aspirations.
The same approach is applied externally, where we continue to strengthen our partnership with educational institutions to build not just innovations in technology, but also talent, with NTU-POWERS as one example. We operate on a continuous feedback loop, a shared vision, and diligent collaboration to prop our people up for success.
Thiam Guan Ang, senior vice president and general manager for Asia Pacific at Juniper Networks
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Making connections is Juniper’s business and it is also a central part of our culture. We know it’s never one size fits all, which is why we strive to create an innovative workplace that values inclusion at its core.
As the approach to DEI grows, so does the role of leaders within organisations. We understand that building and sustaining a successful DEI programme is not a one-time effort, but a continuous journey that requires commitment and collaboration. To truly foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace, leaders must take an active role in enabling DEI by setting the tone and providing the necessary resources to support those goals. This means taking purposeful steps to work with HR leaders and stakeholders to integrate DEI into the overall business strategy, measure progress, and adjust the approach as needed.
Building a diverse and inclusive workplace is not only imperative but also a critical factor in driving business success. At Juniper, we firmly believe that through our differences, we create endless opportunities for growth and thrive best in diversity.
Joanne Wong, vice president for International Markets at LogRhythm
An organisational culture where diversity is regarded and valued as an asset at all levels is fundamental to building a successful DEI programme. Only with commitment across all organisational levels to build a strong culture, a company can create a substantive DEI programme.
DEI is not just performative for the optics – there is a strong business case for hiring diverse teams, especially in industries facing talent shortages, such as cybersecurity. When companies hire professionals from diverse, non-traditional backgrounds and value skills and attitudes over formal education, all parts of the organisation benefit.
We’ve seen this at LogRhythm. Other than having a DEI committee to drive programmes for awareness within the current staff, we have been intentional in implementing equal employment opportunities. We stand behind empowering employees beyond their gender, age, race, or professional experience.
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Kelly Chiew, PR Lead, MOONTON Games
To push the needle in DEI, companies need to encourage more flexible work modules to retain talent, including working mothers. Women in the gaming or e-sports sector are often heavily scrutinised for their gender and capability level compared to their peers – especially if they are starting a family. I am grateful to be in a position where working hours are flexible and am surrounded by understanding colleagues.
Laura Gui, VP of People and Culture at RS
In a global corporation like RS, creating and sustaining a successful DEI culture requires a strong commitment from leaders in the organisation to lead the DEI agenda across respective markets and functions. Through a united leadership force, fostering a diverse mindset in all approaches and embedding this into daily operations will come easier.
Regularly refining, standardising, and measuring DEI efforts across the organisation can also help ensure a consistent and equitable culture.
At RS, we collectively take on a diversity mindset from the very beginning and ensure the presence of this across processes, including hiring, developing, and promoting our diverse talents. We’ve found great success and pride in our multicultural working force, and we recognise and thoroughly respect our colleagues from all walks of life.
Nathalie Huynh, country HR Director for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei at Schneider Electric
Human Resources is the business of empowering people to reach their greatest potential, and an impactful DEI programme is important. This will require pushing ahead with efforts to create an inclusive and caring work environment rooted in a culture of respect and one that celebrates all forms of diversity.
At Schneider Electric, we are increasing gender equity and advancing pay equity across all offices. We are also improving gender representation through increased hiring, promotion and retention of women. Our goal is to have women represent 50% of all new hires, 40% of all frontline managers, and 30% of senior leadership by 2025.
As of December 2022, women represent 41% of Schneider’s executive committee. We are heartened to be recognised in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the sixth consecutive year. By providing equitable opportunities, we are confident employees will feel valued and safe to contribute their best.
Shweta Verma, country manager for Singapore at Slack
The United Nations’ theme for this year’s IWD is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality. I love this theme because it recognises the fundamental role technology can play in enhancing access and inclusivity for women and girls in the new world of work.
We talk about Slack as a digital HQ - a digital space that brings together people, systems & tools in one place where anyone can do their best work anytime, anywhere. Here, information and knowledge are shared broadly and communication is open and two-way.
Everyone has a voice and can express it how they see fit (via a post, an audio or a video clip). They feel empowered to seek out answers – that is inclusivity. Barriers and hierarchies are broken down, and people are empowered to speak up, be autonomous and shape their own working lives the way they see fit.
Flexibility underpins DEI, and providing a digital platform where people in all different circumstances can work and contribute in a way that suits them is fundamental. Underrepresented groups and individuals, especially women and working mothers with kids stand to benefit from this flexibility, and this ultimately leads to a greater diversity of talent.
Jyotika Singh, senior director of Transformation and chair of APJ DE&I Executive Council at Tech Data Asia Pacific & Japan
Driving meaningful change can be achieved if organisations commit to building the right structures and processes to support their DEI vision and programme. To achieve long-term success, it is essential to have actionable goals and identify the right metrics to measure progress.
At Tech Data, we began our journey last year by setting up a DEI Executive Council for the Asia Pacific & Japan region. We are currently focused on elevating female co-workers via a mentorship programme, listening circles, and relooking hiring policies. We also aim to drive allyship and inclusion across the wider co-worker base.
Additionally, engaging with external partners, vendors, customers, and NGOs provides a different perspective on DEI. It fosters better relationships while offering an interesting approach to running a more well-rounded DEI programme. Tech Data plans to explore partnering with stakeholders across the IT ecosystem to develop a more comprehensive DE&I programme in the coming years.
Angie Tay, group COO and EVP for Singapore, Thailand, China and Korea at TDCX
DEI in the workplace has always mattered, and companies around the world are even more mindful of their DEI efforts today. DEI in a workplace goes beyond implementing policies, training modules and mentorship programmes for the generic workforce but taking steps to ensure that those programmes meet the needs of employees from all walks of life.
At TDCX, our DEI initiatives are constantly measured to identify their effectiveness and whether we are making meaningful changes. Across the TDCX Group, an Agile Working Arrangement Policy is in place that is particularly beneficial for people with disabilities (PWD) and working mothers to request flexible work arrangements. This approach enables TDCX to provide employees with the support they need to work securely and efficiently from any location.
In countries such as Malaysia and the Philippines, we partner with private and non-profit organisations to further support women returning to the workforce and make our workplace more inclusive for PWDs. We are also progressively looking at partnering with more organisations to enhance our DEI initiatives across all our markets.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to cultivating DEI and belonging, TDCX is set on encouraging open dialogues – both formal and informal – and building a DEI programme that makes employees feel belonged and more importantly, has a long-term impact.
Bridget Shao, head of People for Southeast Asia at Thoughtworks
At Thoughtworks, we value diversity, not only because of our belief that it is the right thing to do, but also because our company culture, our clients, and our industry benefit from the backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of people from all walks of life. While we strive to ensure diversity across many dimensions of our community, one of our main global focus areas has been women and underrepresented gender minorities in tech (WUGM).
In 2019, we set an organisation-wide goal to be 40% WUGM in technologist roles by the end of 2022. Today our total population of Thoughtworkers is over 42% WUGM. Our recruitment process is also inclusive and transparent. We support partners and events such as TechLadies and Pride Fest to show our commitment to equality and reach diverse candidates.
Thanks to our feedback culture, Thoughtworkers are also empowered to share the type of change they want to see and are encouraged to embrace a joint-ownership mindset when making changes together.
Kiren Singh, human resources manager at TrafficGuard
Diversity is the key to unlocking innovation and growth in any organisation. By embracing a variety of talents and skill sets, we can drive long-term product innovation and expand our business globally. Moreover, diversity allows us to personalise our messaging to different cultures and individuals, to provide solutions that go beyond regions and speak to a personal level. A vibrant workplace is essential to our success, and by sharing diverse backgrounds and skills, we can learn from each other and enhance overall company performance, well-being, and morale.
Gunjan Soni, CEO of ZALORA and COO of Global Fashion Group
As ZALORA has a foothold across Southeast Asia, championing diversity and inclusion at the workplace has always been a central tenet of our business long before DEI became popular. The foundations for a successful DEI programme start with clarity and commitment at the top and then ensuring fairness across a holistic set of practices like recruitment and promotions for example. Creating confidential channels for people to ‘Speak Up’ against behaviours that are inconsistent with our values.
I also believe organisations should not use a narrow definition of DEI limited to gender or ethnicity but think about bringing in cognitive diversity in the workforce including having a good balance of left and right-brain thinkers and other dimensions of looking at skillsets. Finally, it's very important to measure what matters. At ZALORA we are proud to employ 30 nationalities and have a good gender balance ratio of 57% females, and 43% males.
